Your NES Family Handbook

FAMILY HANDBOOK 2014-2015

Watercolor courtesy of Newfields artist, Donna Hoge

1 Your NES Family Handbook

We hope that you find this information guide very helpful as you develop an understanding of our school and our philosophy, structures and procedures, as well as our current practices and initiatives. There are sections written to address almost every information need. If we missed anything, please don’t hesitate to call or drop by at your convenience. You may also learn more about our school by accessing and exploring the SAU 16 website, www.sau16.org, and then using the link to our school website, nes.sau16.org, where you will find a wealth of school and classroom information. We hope that your reading of this document is meaningful and pleasurable.

Contents

Purpose Statements Mission Statement Philosophy

Letters Newfields School Board Newfields Parent Organization Co-Presidents School Principal

General Information Staff Roster School Hours

2 Walking & Biking to School Changes in Transportation Plans Attendance Procedures Tardiness Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up Information Parking at NES Phone Directory / Email System School Calendar Family Vacation Policy

School Health Services Medication Policy Medication Form When to Keep Your Child at Home Medical Examination Form

Communications Newsletters Website Phone System Broadcast Email List AlertSolutions Communication Service Complaint Procedure

2014-2015 Initiatives at a Glance Responsive Classroom EveryDay Math NES Literacy Program Technology Integration Response to Intervention including Differentiated Instruction

Academics Curriculum Aligned to College Career Readiness Standards Planning and Instruction Assessment and Reporting Homework Student Services

Related Arts

Student Life Lunch Service NES School Library School Apparel Recommendations Toys and Electronics Recess Enrichment

School Climate and Student Safety School Wide Expectations Conduct at School 3 Bus Transportation Emergency Preparedness Parent Response to a Critical Incident

Parent and Community Involvement Open School with Open Doors Newfields Parent Teacher Organization NPTO Volunteer Sub-committee

School and District Policies Memorandum of Understanding Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention Policy Admission/Attendance of Non-Resident Students Policy Age of Entrance Policy Attendance, Tardiness, and Truancy Policy Wellness, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Policy Appropriate and Acceptable Computer, Network and Internet Use Policy Video and Audio recording on School Buses Policy School Administrative Unit #16 Policies / Civil Rights and Federal Policies (Separate Packet)

Purpose Statements

Mission Statement

The mission of the Newfields Elementary School is to encourage academic excellence in a nurturing environment where all individuals are valued intellectually, emotionally, artistically, socially and physically and are empowered to develop to their maximum potential so that they can make contributions to the global community.

Philosophy of Education

NEWFIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The Newfields School Community promotes the following Philosophy of Education as a guideline for parents, teachers, administrators and children in our cooperative search for academic excellence:

1. The school shall provide an environment in which all individuals feel safe: physically, emotionally and intellectually. 2. Each individual has ability, dignity and worth and, as such, shall be provided the opportunity and encouragement to develop his/her maximum potential in an environment which fosters academic

4 excellence. Individual differences in intellectual, physical and emotional growth must be accommodated. 3. The school environment shall be one in which mutual respect for all persons is nurtured to insure that all individuals are treated with fairness and dignity. 4. The school shall empower and enable all individuals to foster self-discipline, ethical awareness, self-reliance, self-determination and accountability for one’s actions and independent thinking. 5. The school shall support and encourage the alliance and interaction of administrators, children, the community-at-large, parents and teachers in a cooperative effort for the benefit of the school. 6. The school shall become globally responsible and shall foster attitudes and actions in keeping with global citizenship. 7. The school shall seek to foster in students of all ages a positive attitude toward lifelong learning.

Newfields School Board Newfields School District Newfields, NH (Policy Adopted: 2/11/91)

5 6 General Information

Staff Roster

A list of professional and support staff at NES, and their assignments for the coming year, may be found on the following attachment [See Insert.].

School Hours

Student Arrival Time 8:20 AM School Begins 8:40 AM (Students arriving after 8:40 AM will be considered tardy and must be signed in by a parent in the main office.) Dismissal Bell for Walkers 3:00 PM Student Pick ups 3:00 -3:10 PM Busses Depart 3:10-3:15 PM

Walking and Biking to School

Students who walk or bike to school must have a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian on file in the NES Main Office. Walkers and bikers must arrive to school between 8:30 and 8:40. They must wait for adult assistance at the appropriate crossing in front of our school. Students who ride their bikes to school must get off and walk them onto and from school grounds. At the end of the day, walkers and bikers will be the first students called for dismissal. They will be escorted to the fire station and then crossed. Bikers may get onto their bikes when they are safely across the street.

Changes in Transportation Plans

If you intend to have your child(ren) take a different route home than usual, it is essential that you contact the school well in advance of dismissal on the day that the change is to occur. We strongly encourage you to send a note to school with your child on the morning of the change and remind your child to give the note to his/her teacher. In the event that this procedure is not possible, please call the main office and report the change to the school secretary. E-mailing a note to the school, either to the classroom teacher and/or the main office – at [email protected], early in the day of a change is also permissible. The end of the school day is very hectic. Please do not plan to call the school at that time.

Attendance Procedures

If a child is expected to be absent from school, please write a note to the school in advance or call our school (772-5555) before 8:40 AM so that the teacher and school office can be informed. In the event that the school does not receive notification of your child’s absence, a call will be made to your home or place of employment to verify the absence.

Tardiness 7 If a child arrives to school after 8:40 AM, a parent must sign the child in to school at the main office before the child proceeds to the classroom to begin the day’s activities.

Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up Information

Students who are dropped-off should arrive at school by 8:30 AM. We thank parents, in advance, for their ongoing patience, support, and care during this very busy time of our school day. As parents approach the school grounds they should watch for and anticipate student walkers and crossing guards. As they turn onto Monaghan Way, they should drive slowly around the school building and drop off their children in the drop-off zone at the main entrance doorway. Please pull to the front of the drop-off zone, if possible, before letting your children out of the car. They should get out of the car on the right side, closest to the school building. A staff member will be on hand to assist as necessary.

Parents picking their children up after school should do so from 3:05-3:15pm. The same advisories mentioned above will apply to student pick-up. As you enter onto school grounds, follow the same traffic pattern as in the morning and join the ‘end of the line’. The students will congregate outside of the main entrance doorway and await staff permission to approach your car. This allows us to safely send children out to your car as you pull into the pick-up zone and come to a stop. Staff will be on hand to assist as necessary.

Parking at Newfields Elementary School

Parking has long been a challenge for parents and staff alike at NES. If you are dropping material off for your child or have some other reason to anticipate a short stay at NES, you may park off the side of our driveway by the main entrance or alongside our driveway adjacent to the Monaghan property. For longer visits, we ask that you park in spaces located behind our building or across the street (Rt. 87) from the school. PLEASE DO NOT park in the few slots at the Newfields Fire Station or directly across from the upper parking lot driveway as busses can not negotiate the turn with vehicles parked there.

Phone Directory / Email System

Our school’s phone number is (603)-772-5555. The FAX number for NES is (603)-658-0401. Someone is almost always on hand to answer the phone during our school’s normal business hours (8:00am- 4:00pm). If we don’t pick up the phone immediately, or if you call the school outside of the school business day, you will likely be directed to our school’s answering machine. Please leave a message indicating your name and phone number. Also, you may briefly state your business. We will call you back at the earliest possible moment. You can contact any staff member using our school’s email system. Staff email addresses are developed as follows: first initial, last name, @sau16.org. For example: Kate Segal is [email protected].

School Calendar

[See Insert.]

Family Vacation Policy

NEWFIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FAMILY VACATION POLICY 8 The staff at NES understands that there may be exceptional circumstances in which a family vacation plan may conflict with the Newfields school vacation schedule. Families going on vacation while school is in session must notify the principal and teachers in writing at least two weeks in advance of their planned vacation. The following responsibilities are outlined for parents, teachers and students to follow should this situation arise. Please remember that there is no substitute for your child’s classroom experiences. Although this vacation is unavoidable the parent, teacher and student will work together to make the transition back to school a successful experience for all.

PARENTS

Notify student’s teacher in writing two weeks prior to the absence from school. Contact teacher directly to receive summary of topics that will be covered in class. Oversee completion of required work by student.

TEACHERS

Provide to parent assessment of student’s quarterly progress across curriculum. Provide topics that will be covered in class during absence.

STUDENTS

Turn in key assignments to teacher and have an understanding of topics covered in class. Assume responsibility to complete all tests, quizzes and assignments upon return to school.

School Health Services

NES staffs a full time nurse who maintains health records, monitors students growth and development, administers medications, and cares for students if they suddenly fall ill or become injured and teaches health to all students.

Communication with the nurse: Please call, write an email ([email protected]) or send a note to the nurse (and teacher if appropriate) if there is anything that may be significant and effect your child’s day(s) at school. The information about your child’s needs may assist the nurse or teacher in helping your child with a difficult day/ problem/ concern. Some information may be quite private. Please let us know how this sensitive information might (or might not) be shared, to both maximize your child’s safety and provide the best experience at school.

Absence: If your child will be tardy or must miss school, please call the school before school begins. As soon as attendance is taken, a staff member will contact a parent to account for the whereabouts of that child to ensure his/her safety. The school nurse tracks certain contagious illnesses for the health and safety of the whole school. Please indicate the nature of the illness in your message to the school or email Ms. Bird at [email protected].

Emergency contact numbers: Please notify Mrs. Johnson in the main office or Ms. Bird in the health office of any changes in your home, work, or cellular contact phone numbers or any of your emergency contact persons’ numbers. We must be able to contact you or someone who can take responsibility for your child should the need arise.

Illness or significant injury:

9  Sometimes, in the early morning, it is difficult to tell if your child is ill enough to stay home. Generally speaking, if a child has a fever or is vomiting during the previous night or that morning, he/she should stay home. If a practitioner has prescribed an antibiotic for some infectious process, check with the practitioner concerning when the child may return to school (usually 24 hrs. after the first dose of medication). Let us know if there are any instructions for the health office to manage the resolution of the infection safely. Other reasons to keep your child at home: o diarrhea o croupy, persistent cough that can’t be controlled with or without medication o grey/green mucous of cough or nasal discharge o impetigo (until treated / cleared for return to school by practitioner) o strep throat (until treated / cleared for return to school by a practitioner)

 Sometimes a child has to come to school with a resolving injury. Please contact the nurse and /or the school administration to outline the nature of your child’s injury and to explain his/her needs.  Recess and PE are an important part of the elementary school student’s physical and social education. Students are expected to go out for recess or participate in PE. A note from the doctor or a parent is needed if the child is restricted from these activities.

New medical conditions, medications or allergies: It is extremely important that you keep the nurse informed at the beginning of and throughout the school year of medical needs or concerns of your child.

Medications: In general, it is best if medications are administered outside of school hours. Medications that are administered during the school day must, by NH law, be brought in by a responsible adult, in its original container. The medicine must be accompanied by a note from the parent or guardian that will include a dated signature by the parent/ guardian. The note will include the name of the medication, the time it is to be given, the dose and route (by mouth, topical etc.) to be given, and the problem that the medication is treating (strep throat infection, headache pain etc.). Any allergies to medications should be listed. If the medication is a prescription medication, a practitioner’s order with the same information is required. Each school year requires a new set of parent signatures and MD orders even if the medication to be given is the same as the one given in the previous year. For the safety of the children, NH law states that children may not transport medications to school or have them in their possession. Also, by law, there are a few exceptions based on certain health needs of the child that are more severe or immediate access is needed to certain medications. Check with the school nurse if you have questions on medication management at school.

Head lice: Please check your child for head lice regularly. They are found most commonly by noting small white or beige flecks that are glued onto the hair shaft. You may also see small sesame seed sized bugs on the scalp. Lice are very quick crawling from person to persons who are in close contact with each other. If found, all family and close friends should be informed and/or checked for lice. Don’t panic, they are more of a nuisance than a health risk. Please inform the school nurse immediately. The nurse will help you and instruct you regarding what needs to be done. Once treated your child should be brought by a parent or responsible adult to the nurse to be cleared before he/she may attend school (and take the bus etc.).

Communications

Newsletters

10 Weekly newsletters are a powerful communication tool that has served our school community well for many years. You can expect newsletters from classroom teachers and the school principal on a weekly basis, in most cases. Please review this correspondence in a timely manner as these newsletters make great reading and will help you to stay ‘in-the-loop’ regarding your child’s education.

Newfields Elementary School Website and Classroom ‘Moodle’ Pages

NES is proud to direct you to our school’s website as an important source of information about your elementary school. We believe that students, parents, teachers, and community members will find a lot to like on our NES website. On our website, we publish announcements, our monthly school calendar and menu, weekly school newsletters, and much more – virtually everything you might ever want to know about our school! Check it out regularly as it will be updated often. You can visit our website directly by going to www.nes.sau16.org or the SAU 16 website at www.sau16.org selecting ‘schools’ from the banner on the left, and scrolling down to Newfields Elementary School. At the beginning of the school year, teachers will notify families on the proper enrollment key and procedures for accessing your child’s Moodle Class Webpage. On these Moodle pages you will find class news and events, information about homework assignments and projects, field trips, enrichment programs, educational web links, and much more. Enjoy!

Phone System

All classrooms and offices in NES have their own phones, but staff members do not have their own voicemail accounts. Teachers may place an outgoing call at any time during the school day, but calls will not ring into their classrooms. To leave a message for a staff member, please call the NES Main Office. If you have an emergency and must speak to your child or a staff member immediately, please speak to Mrs.Segal, Mrs. Johnson or Ms. Bird in the school office, and they will assist you. If you have a change of plans for your child (involving schedule, pick-up, etc.) you must speak to Mrs. Johnson who will then expedite the necessary information.

Email Broadcast List

We have developed an email broadcast list for parents who wish to participate. Important and timely information can be disseminated quickly and easily using this great communication tool. Look forward to an Email Broadcast List submission form through which you can share the necessary information to receive our emails. All email addresses received will be kept in confidence and used only for the expressed purpose of sending school correspondence to your home and/or workplace. All submissions received last year have been destroyed, so if you sent us your email address last year, you will have to do the same this year. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Alert Solutions Communication System

Please be sure to indicate on your child’s registration form which shall be your ‘primary number’ for Alert Solutions contact. Alert Solutions is a communication tool that will allow us to share important notices with parents by phone contact almost instantaneously as they are developed. Using Alert Solutions, we can record an important and timely message (i.e., early closing of school due to inclement weather, late bus, health and/or safety alert, etc.), and instantaneously and simultaneously send that message to parents at home and at work. Please be sure to indicate on your child’s registration form which shall be your ‘primary number’ for Alert Solutions contact.

Complaint Procedure

11 We recognize that there may be occasions in which students and/or parents will encounter difficulties with some facet of the school experience. When this occurs, please contact your child’s teacher first to resolve the problem. Should your concern continue, you should contact the school principal. If the problem is still unresolved, then the Assistant Superintendent for NES, Mrs. Esther Asbell, should be contacted. If satisfaction is not yet achieved, you will need to contact a member of the Newfields School Board.

2014-2015 Initiatives at a Glance

Responsive Classroom

The Responsive Classroom approach to establishing safe, nurturing, and academically challenging schools has been broadly successful throughout the country. It is the embodiment and culmination of successful practices that the most talented and successful elementary school teachers and administrators have developed and implemented over a number of years. There is a very clear list of ‘Guiding Principles’ and ‘Program Components’ that can be found using the ‘About RC’ link from www.responsiveclassroom.org.

Our staff members have received appropriate training in the Responsive Classroom Model and have used it extensively since the program’s roll-out at NES in the Fall of 2003. Responsive Classroom consists of establishing ‘Morning Meetings’ or ‘Closing Circles’, ‘Hopes and Dreams’, ‘Rules and Logical Consequences’ and ‘Academic Choice’.

Everyday Math

EveryDay Math is a rigorous, multi-faceted mathematics program that fosters a true understanding of math concepts. Its components will help students to develop a flexible toolkit of math skills that they call upon routinely to solve increasingly complex mathematical problems and challenges. Its ‘spiral curriculum’ creates an ongoing cycle of introduction, reinforcement, refinement, and new applications of material, skills, and concepts. ‘EDM’ has been adopted by SAU #16 as the elementary school math program. EDM was chosen for use in each of the elementary schools to raise standards and levels of achievement, match the program’s approach to math with what is clearly expected for success in the workplace of the future, and to provide a common base of experience and proficiency for all SAU #16 elementary school students before they enter the Cooperative Middle School for Grade 6. In recent years, the focus has been on using all of the program components, vertical integration (seamless continuity of material and experiences from grade to grade), as well as assessment and reporting of student progress. This year the staff will implement the E Suite version 2012 Everyday Mathematics Program. This is the latest version of this highly successful math program that continues to evolve in response to parent, teacher, and student feedback. Further information on the Everyday Math program can be found on the following websites as well as many others: http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/.

NES Literacy Program Development

Over the last few years, the school has made large gains in the continued development of a school-wide literacy program based on modern, research-based, educational ‘best practices’ for the teaching of reading, writing, and language arts. NES entered into a partnership with consultants from the Center for Applied Child Development (Tufts University) and our sister schools in Kensington and East Kingston to provide training and expertise in the area of improving literacy programming and instruction at the elementary school grade levels. New approaches to literacy assessment adopted over recent years have guided the further development of our literacy program. Classroom library collections have been greatly improved and a ‘book closet’ has been established where multiple copies of text materials can be found

12 for use in guided reading lessons and literature circle book groups. We will continue to refine our implementation of ‘Readers Workshop’ and ‘Writers Workshop’, as well as review and refine our comprehensive document outlining the NES literacy program which will help to assure standardization across grade levels and classrooms.

Technology Integration

Educational technology is fast becoming an absolutely indispensable component of quality elementary schools. Computers and their educational programs, access to the vast resource base of the internet, and audio/video/photography auxiliaries are powerful tools for improving and enriching classroom instruction and student learning experiences. Through SAU #16 we are able to access substantial amounts of quality human resources to train our staff, lend technical assistance, help to develop plans for technology in our school, and much more. Over the last several years, with the assistance of SAU #16 Technology Services, the foresight of our Newfields School Board, and generous benefactors, we continue to acquire modern, quality computers and improve our overall technology standing. Ten projection systems are in our inventory so that we may communicate effectively with, and display information for, our various student and adult audiences. We also have a number of notebook computers available for student and teacher use as a mobile computer cluster. We will continue to develop our ‘NES School Portfolio’, and further develop ‘Digital Portfolios’ for every student as required by State educational standards. We will continue to work toward integrating a variety of technology tools into daily instruction for every student, every day.

Response to Intervention including Differentiated Instruction and Student Support Services

The NES Community is committed to individualizing instruction, informed by student data, supporting our learners as needed. We will continue to identify differentiated and individualized instruction. We provide training to staff and restructured our student support services department to become even more effective at meeting the individual learning needs of all students.

NES staff will continue to focus on the assessment of student learning, and the careful and thoughtful study of the resulting data to inform our instructional decision-making. This orientation toward ‘data driven decision-making’ allows us opportunities to confirm our observations and instincts about student learning, and enlighten us in ways we might not anticipate about our practice and what our students know and are able to do. The analysis of student assessment data and the resulting adjustments to our teaching practices complete the ongoing instructional improvement cycle.

Academics

Curriculum Aligned to College Career Readiness Standards Newfields Elementary School ascribes to the SAU #16 curricula, developed by representative committees of the various SAU #16 schools, consistent with state and national frameworks for education. You may access these curriculum documents through the SAU #16 website (www.sau16.org).

Planning and Instruction

NES teachers come to Newfields well-prepared for success in our classrooms. However, their professional development is ongoing, and life-long. As we continue to develop our effectiveness in reaching high performance standards, it is important not only that teachers have frequent high-quality 13 training opportunities available to them but, perhaps more importantly, that they have regular planning opportunities to meet and discuss teaching and learning with other teachers and grade level teammates. There is no substitute for the richness and quality that can be gained when talented and creative teachers sit and work collaboratively to improve and coordinate their team programs. Our master schedule model makes plenty of allowance for this powerful school improvement opportunity. Also, we are continuing to add to the rich array of teaching resources available to our staff, not only in terms of educational technology, but in printed text and manipulatives as well. In a sentence, it is our goal to provide instruction that is rich, rigorous, differentiated to student ability and experience, and addresses multi- intelligences in a developmentally-responsive environment that is both encouraging and nurturing for all students.

Assessment and Reporting

At NES we pull from a diverse array of proven assessment practices, some are traditional, some are extremely innovative. In addition to many teacher-generated assessment tools and those associated with our specific school programming (i.e., Everyday Math), we use state and nationally recognized standardized assessments to round out the assessment picture and provide us with highly technical data for use in the analysis of our teaching and overall school effectiveness. These standardized assessments include the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress computer-based assessment [Grade 5], the Science New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) statewide assessment [Grade 4] and Smarter Balanced Assessment of CCRS [Grades 3-5].

Reporting of student progress takes many forms at NES. Besides the informal notes, phone calls, and conferences that occur naturally, we have formal teacher conferences twice a year, progress reports and report cards which are issued eight times a year, and we forward parent versions of the scoring reports we receive from the standardized testing houses.

Homework

Homework is seen as an important and powerful complement to the student’s day time learning experiences at school. It can also be an important component to the student’s overall learning process. Please review your teacher’s homework guidelines and policies with your child. Don’t hesitate to discuss these guidelines and your personal homework needs with your teachers. We always try to be flexible and responsive to your goals for your child’s education.

Student Services

Every one of our students is a unique and special human being. Every one of us thinks and learns differently. The NES staff includes persons who are true specialists in identifying individual learning needs, and developing specific learning plans for students in need. They coordinate services for students who need additional support in any number of areas of learning. If you suspect that your child may benefit from learning support services, please contact your child’s teacher to discuss your observations and concerns. The TAT will review the concerns and assist the teacher with alternative strategies; may conduct observations or informal assessments. On staff we have special education teachers (learning disability specialists), a speech and language therapist to assist with language and oral speech development, occupational and physical therapists to assist students with the development and refinement of fine and gross motor abilities, a guidance counselor to assist in the development of social skills, and a school nurse who works to assure our safety and works with parents and staff to develop health plans for students with specific health care needs. Together TAT works in a coordinated and determined fashion to make certain that every Newfields child has a happy and successful learning experience while a student at NES. 14 Related Arts

Related Arts are a critical component of your child’s learning experience here at NES. Currently, each of our related arts (Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, and Foreign Language / Health) are offered for 45 minutes, once a week. You may refer to the NES Master Schedule, found in a previous section of this document for specific information regarding when your child has related arts.

Student Life

Lunch Service

Over recent years, our school lunch service has continued to evolve and improve its service to students at NES. With the help of a dedicated staff and an enthusiastic core of parent volunteers, we serve lunches that are both appealing and nutritious —and all for only $2.25 a meal! Snacks ($.50) are available in the MPR at mid-morning and again at lunch time. Milk ($.10) and juice ($.20) must be prepaid—look for or request a copy of the necessary form if you wish to purchase milk or juice. Parents can purchase a lunch ticket for $36.00 (good for 16 meals) that will be kept at the lunch service area and ‘punched’ with each meal obtained by the student. The NES lunch service offers lunch Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, students may purchase a pizza lunch that is offered by the NPTO. The lunch menu is distributed to students at the beginning of each month, and can also be found on our school’s website.

NES School Library

The Newfields Elementary School Library contains a huge selection of books and magazines that will interest children in reading and learning about people, places and ideas. The library resources are also used by teachers to supplement classroom studies.

On designated library days students are assisted by parent or student volunteers in learning how to use the library, in choosing books for pleasure and in learning to look up information for special projects.

Books and magazines can be borrowed for one week. (Very popular books are available one week only, on a first come, first served basis.)

Books may by used in school or at home. Some students will find it easier to use books for reading at school only.

First and second graders may borrow one book per week. Third, fourth and fifth graders may borrow two books per week.

Borrowing more materials for special reports can be arranged with the librarian and the classroom teacher.

Students are responsible for keeping books in good condition and returning them to school on their designated library day.

It is strongly recommended that students not lend books to others. If a student signs out a book or magazine, s/he is responsible for its care, return and replacement cost if damaged or lost.

Books can be returned to the library any day at the teacher’s discretion or kept within the classroom to avoid it being lost or misplaced between classroom and library.

15 The school will call home if a book is kept out longer than two weeks.

School Apparel Recommendations

With the range of ages in an elementary school it is difficult to provide guidelines that are equitable for all. With that in mind, we expect and need the assistance from parents in determining the appropriateness of clothing worn to school. Some basic guidelines are offered below to assist with these daily decisions.

 Footwear should be comfortable and safe for running and playing outside on the play structure and in the fields. Rubber flip-flops are highly discouraged! Students in the younger grades are particularly subject to injury with such footwear.  No offensive markings or advertisements should be on clothing  Girls’ tops should cover the abdomen and straps should cover any undergarments worn. Boys’ tops should have armholes that provide appropriate coverage.  Hat and head coverings are allowed for religious purpose. Students should not wear hats in school.

Toys and Electronics

We urge all parents to keep toys and electronic devices at home. We cannot be responsible for lost or damaged items brought to school. Electronics not allowed without permission are digital video recording devices and electronic games. Any cell phone brought to school that is used during school hours will be held by the teacher or principal and returned directly to the parent.

Recess

The school children of Newfields are extremely fortunate to have fabulous play spaces for use during class or lunch recesses. There is a playground directly behind the school that is safe, attractive, and most of all, FUN! There are also large playing fields behind the NES building on which children enjoy chase games as well as various ball games. The Newfields Youth Athletic Association oversees the use and maintenance of the field play space. We assure that there is always an adequate number of trained staff on hand to supervise the play spaces during recesses. Students develop strong, healthy bodies through the exercise they receive during recess. Also, our school playgrounds are social laboratories here at NES where important lessons are learned about caring for one another, sportsmanship, sharing, being a good friend, taking turns, coping with disappointment, and much more. We enjoy and value recess as an integral part of the student experience at NES. Enrichment

The NES Enrichment Committee will plan school enrichment activities for the coming year. These activities typically involve additional experiences for students in the arts, sciences, history, and world culture. These opportunities will also likely include presentations on safety and health. With our school’s emphasis on ‘differentiation’, students of all experience and ability levels are challenged and supported to succeed through the course of our normal classroom instruction.

School Climate and Student Safety

School Wide Expectations

Have Fun! Challenge Yourself! Be Responsible, Be Respectful

16 Take Care of Each Other

Conduct at School

In order for students to learn and teachers to teach at their highest levels, a school must be safe and orderly. At NES we achieve an appropriate learning and teaching environment through the proper maintenance of our school facility, assuring adequate and competent supervision of students at all times, developing clear expectations for student conduct at school and on the bus, and by developing plans to respond effectively to emergency situations. Please refer to the ‘Responsive Classroom’ document insert, and speak to your child’s teacher or principal for more information about how the NES Community achieves and maintains an appropriate and safe climate for learning.

Bus Transportation

Many NES students walk, bike, or drive to school with their parents. Many others elect to travel to and from school on our school buses. Students are dropped off at school (approximately 8:30am) and picked up from school (approximately 3:15pm) on the side of the building by the multi-purpose room entrance. Bus routes are published prior to the beginning of school in local newspapers and may also be found on the SAU #16 website (www.sau16.org). Any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding bus routes should be directed to First Student (778-6900). First Student is the company with which the Newfields School Board has contracted for student transportation services. The NES school community and First Student hold high expectations for student conduct while riding the bus. Please refer to documents below for details on bus conduct rules and consequences for unsafe or otherwise harmful decisions.

CAMERAS ON THE SCHOOL BUS

School Administrative Unit 16 and the Newfields School District value safety as the most important aspect of the student transportation program. In support of this priority, camera equipment (recording video and audio) is installed on the school bus to monitor student behavior and assure safety for all students. A notice will be posted on all buses that "this bus uses video and audio equipment to monitor student behavior." The school district's use of this equipment will be governed by school board policy EEAJ - Video and Audio Recording on School Buses.

BUS RIDER RULES

In general, we expect students, while riding the bus, to behave as they would in the classroom with their teacher or at home with their parents. If a child is not well behaved and endangers the health and safety of other students, the privilege of riding the bus will be taken away. The bus driver shall be considered to have the same authority as a teacher in the classroom. The following School Board policies are an integral part of this agreement.

POLICIES: Buses will travel on major thoroughfares making student pick-ups where subdivisions and subsidiary roads intersect the major thoroughfare. It is the attempt of the School Board to minimize walking distances to bus stops, where feasible, to ½ mile. The driver is allowed to assign seats. The bus drivers are in complete charge of the bus and their decisions are to be followed. No student shall be put off the bus while traveling to and from school unless a dangerous situation occurs. The daily trip will be completed and then parents notified before the student can be removed from transportation service. 17 Only authorized riders will be permitted on the buses. Bus stop conduct is the responsibility of the parents, not the School District.

It is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that their children obey the following rules:

RULES – Level 1 Students: Shall arrive at the bus stop five minutes before the scheduled pickup time. Shall remain well back from the roadway while waiting for the bus. Shall be orderly and avoid horseplay both at the bus stop and on the bus. Shall wait to approach only after the bus has stopped. Shall cross the street only after the driver has put on the flashing lights and signaled to cross. Shall enter the bus in an orderly fashion and proceed directly to a seat. The student shall remain seated until the destination is reached. Shall not change seats at another stop unless the driver gives prior approval. Shall sit three passengers per seat when necessary as the law allows. Shall only ride the bus to which they have been assigned and only get on and off at their own stops. Shall keep all articles, such as athletic equipment, book bags, musical instruments, etc., out of the aisles. Any carry-on article must fit on child’s lap and not occupy another ridership seat. Only articles allowed by the school may be carried on the bus.

RULES – Level 2 Students: Shall not throw things in the bus, at the bus or out the windows while on the bus. Shall keep their hands, arms, legs and head inside the bus. Shall not eat or drink on the bus. Shall not litter on the bus. Shall not use profane language, obscene gestures or create excessive noise.

RULES – Level 3 Students: Shall not touch safety equipment on the bus, including the emergency doors and windows (unless there is an actual emergency…i.e., crash/fire). Shall not damage or deface bus property. Shall not fight, wrestle or engage in any other physical aggression with another person, including the bus driver, while on the bus. Shall show respect for the driver and other students. Shall not bring flammable liquids, or use matches or lighters on the bus. Shall not bring live animals or insects of any kind on the bus.

RULES – Level 4 Students: Shall not have or carry on weapons of any kind. Shall not bring hazardous materials, fireworks, or nuisance items such as laser lights, etc. on the bus. Shall not use or transport any illegal substance while on the bus (alcohol and drugs).

BUS RIDER DISCIPLINE POLICY

Any bus rider who does not follow the rules established to provide for a safe and pleasant bus ride will be subject to the following disciplinary procedure. It is intended that this procedure start simply between the driver and the student but can progress to school administration and result in the loss of riding privileges. Bus drivers will report rule infractions to school administrators as soon as possible. Disciplinary action shall be as follows: 18 Level 1 First Offense – The driver shall give a verbal warning to the student via a Bus Conduct Slip. Second Offense – Verbal warning to the student via a Bus Conduct Slip by the school Principal and letter sent to parent. Third Offense – Removal from the bus for 5 days, notify the parent. Fourth Offense – Removal from the bus for 20 days, notify the parent. Fifth Offense – Referral to School Board.

Level 2, 3 and 4 reporting and notification: The driver shall submit a written description of the violation to the Principal of the student’s school using the Bus Conduct Slip. The school Principal will decide the appropriate disciplinary action and inform the student, parent(s), the bus contractor and the Superintendent of School of this action:

Level 2 First Offense – The student shall receive a verbal reprimand by the Principal via a Bus Conduct Slip. Second Offense – Removal from the bus for 5 days, notify the parent. Third Offense – Removal from the bus for 20 days, notify the parent. Fourth Offense – Referral to School Board.

Level 3 First Offense – The student’s riding privilege shall be revoked for a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of twenty (20) school days, notify parents. Second Offense – Removal from the bus for 20 days and referral to the School Board. Third Offense – If the violation described is the third (3rd) Level 3 violation in the current school year, the student’s riding privileges shall be immediately terminated for the remainder of the current school year.

Level 4 The student’s riding privileges shall be immediately terminated for the remainder of the current school year. Parent(s) shall be responsible for the student’s transportation. A reinstatement conference with the parent(s) and the student must be conducted by the Principal prior to allowing the student to ride the bus at the beginning of the next school year.

NOTE: In compliance with RSA 189:9a, any suspension of a student’s riding privileges continuing beyond 20 school days must be approved by the school board.

BUS PROVIDER AND SCHOOL COMMITMENTS

BUS PROVIDER COMMITMENT to a safe and pleasant bus ride.

The bus company pledges to passengers:

We will provide equipment and drivers who meet or exceed Federal Motor Safety Regulations. Our drivers are required to attend a monthly safety-training meeting. Our drivers will operate their vehicles in a safe, lawful and professional manner.

The bus driver shall instruct the students in safe riding and pedestrian practices as follows:

19 Safe walking practices to and from the bus stop. How and where to wait safely for the bus. Safe roadway crossing before boarding or leaving the bus. Problems with clothing, backpacks and the dangers or getting them caught when departing the bus. Emergency evacuation procedures.

NEWFIELDS SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITMENT to a safe and pleasant bus ride.

THE NEWFIELDS SCHOOL DISTRICT,

Insists student safety while riding buses must come first Believes the most important job of the bus driver is to operate the bus in a safe and prudent manner Will not tolerate rider behavior which jeopardizes safe operation of the school bus Requires its administration to work with the bus drivers and bus company officials to ensure the safe operation of the school bus Considers the bus company and its personnel to be an extension of the school’s own personnel Considers students who are on the bus are the responsibility of the Newfields School District Believes that all students and employees should be treated with respect and dignity Will make every effort to resolve rider or parent concerns in a fair manner to all

PARENTAL CONCERNS RESOLUTION PROCESS

How parents (guardians) can get help when they are experiencing a problem with their child’s bus ride or with a bus driver:

Talk to the bus company officials first;

Because of time and scheduling, the driver can not take the time while completing his/her driving responsibilities, so a phone call directly to the bus company supervisor is recommended.

Kate Segal 772-5555 Principal Natalie Perry 775-8690 Transportation Coordinator

The bus company representative will make every effort to listen, explain, and generally try to resolve your concerns.

If you do not feel successful in talking with the bus company then:

Give the school principal a call to see if he/she can help you. In most cases a principal can provide assistance and guidance in working out an unresolved bus problem. Request a meeting at school with the principal and the bus company supervisor.

If a problem continues past this point:

You can request Central Office review the situation by calling the Superintendent’s Office. Call 775- 8670 and ask for the Business Administrator. You can also call the Superintendent at 775-8653. The School Board can also be informed through written or personal communications from a parent. It must be said, however, that all other efforts should be exhausted before taking steps as it would otherwise be the Board’s policy to refer this matter back to administration unless all steps have failed.

If your concern is over discipline problems, please contact Mrs. Kate Segal at 772-5555.

Emergency Preparedness 20 In days gone by, school communities could focus almost exclusively on academics. As our society and world seems to grow evermore complex and demanding, public schools respond with an evermore diverse charge for preparing children for future success and ensuring their safety in the process. SAU #16 and the NES school community have invested considerable time, energy, and resources to develop response plans for possible emergencies in school and out, to provide appropriate training to staff, and conduct practice exercises for students and staff. In the coming year, we will continue to address our efficacy in the area of emergency preparedness and continue to train and practice our responses to be applied during critical situations. Schools have five basic responses to emergency situations that are as follows: evacuation (when we believe the safest place for students and staff is outside of the building—fire, gas, chemical, etc., in the school building), reverse evacuation (when we believe the safest place for students and staff is inside of building—violent or electrical storm, security threat outside of the building, etc.), cover and hold (when we believe the safest place for students and staff is inside of building, seeking additional structural protection—earthquake, tornado, etc.), shelter in place (when we believe the safest place for students and staff is in their classrooms, protecting air quality—gas, chemical, etc., outside of the school building), and lock down (when we believe the safest place for students and staff is in their secured classrooms— intruder in the school building, security threat outside of the building, etc.).

Parent Response to a Critical Incident

It’s important to remember that during a critical incident teachers and administrators are dealing WITH the crisis and trying to keep everyone safe. Therefore they are not able to respond to phone calls and messages. Do not go to the school or try to call the school as these actions have the potential to cause additional problems for the school in terms of escalating a situation. You WILL be in the way as emergency workers are moving about and will hinder their operation. As part of the communication strategy, all parents will be informed as soon as possible through the SAU 16 Alert Solutions system. Messaging will be in the form of a phone call and an email from the Superintendent’s Office. It’s far better to get up-to- date, accurate information from the source. Our school has clear parent-child reunification plan that is located on the school website. This plan designated Exeter High School as the site where you can go to pick up your child. The best way to help schools deal with a crisis situation is to stay tuned for official information from the school district. If you have any further questions please contact your building administrator,

Parent and Community Involvement

Open School with Open Doors

Newfields Elementary School recognizes our parents and community as our strongest partners in creating and maintaining a true elementary school of excellence. Without healthy collaboration between these parties, NES will never approach its potential as an educational institution and community resource. For our parents and community to become partners we must maintain healthy dialogue about all school- related matters. Your observation, insight, energy, enthusiasm, talent, and feedback are critical in our ongoing improvement process. Please join with us in making Newfields Elementary School an exemplary place for our children and our community. Our doors are open to parents and guests. When you visit, please call ahead whenever possible, and always check in at the main office. Although our classroom doors will almost always be open so that you may see and hear excellent teaching and learning, we ask that when you visit you always be considerate and create minimal distraction or disruption to the classroom learning environment.

Newfields Parent Teacher Organization 21 The NPTO has been a strong partner in our school’s development for many years. Parent involvement in a child’s education, and even in school programming, is a critical component in the student learning process as well as the school improvement process. The NPTO has completed a thorough restructuring effort to maximize their effectiveness in reaching ambitious goals. The NPTO warmly welcomes you to join them in their efforts to make NES all that it can be for all of us. The NPTO meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 9:00 am at NES. Please call or drop by the school for NPTO contact information.

NPTO Volunteer Sub-committee

The NPTO Volunteer Sub-committee has been the proud and perennial recipient of the Blue Ribbon Award. This award is given by the NH Partners in Education foundation to NH schools for excellence in school volunteer programming. In conjunction with the NPTO, our school volunteer sub-committee coordinates personnel support to classrooms and the school on an ongoing basis and for special events. Please call or drop by the school for volunteer organization contact information.

School and District Policies

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN

NEWFIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND NEWFIELDS POLICE DEPARTMENT

It is the intention of the Newfields Police Department and the Newfields School District to work in a joint cooperative effort to provide a safe and healthy school environment for the students, staff and visitors. We intend to do this in compliance with New Hampshire RSA 193-D, Safe School Zones, as amended.

Communication and sharing of information is the initiation of any cooperative effort. As required by law, it is agreed that every school employee who has witnessed, or who has information from the victim of an act of theft, destruction or violence in a Safe School Zone shall report such an act in writing immediately to a supervisor. A supervisor receiving such report shall immediately forward such information to the school principal who shall file it with the Newfields’ Police Department immediately, by telephone or otherwise, and shall be followed within 48 hours by a report in writing.

As a result of New Hampshire RSA 193-D:7 school employees are relieved of concerns regarding confidentially. It states: “Not withstanding any other provision of law, it shall be permissible for any law enforcement officer and any school administrator to exchange information relating only to acts of theft, destruction or violence in a Safe School Zone regarding the identity of any juvenile, police records relating to a juvenile or other relevant information when such information reasonably relates to delinquency or criminal conduct, suspected delinquency or suspected criminal conduct, or any conduct which would classify a pupil or child in need of services under RSA 169-D or a child in need of protection under RSA 169-D.

The report required above includes – 1. Identification of the act of theft, destruction or violence defined in RSA 193-D that was allegedly committed. 2. The name and address of any witness to the act of theft, destruction or violence in a Safe School Zone.

22 3. The name and address of any person suspected of committing an act of theft, destruction or violence in a safe School Zone.

The written report required above shall be waived by law enforcement officials when there is a law enforcement response at the time of the incident which results in a written police report. Acts of theft, destruction or violence mean acts set forth in the following regardless of the age of perpetrator and shall be reported as required.

A. Homicide (RSA 630) B. First or second degree assault (RSA 631) C. Any felonious and aggregated felonious sexual assault (RSA 318-B) D. Unlawful possession or sale of a firearm or other dangerous weapon (RSA 159) E. Arson (RSA 631:1) F. Burglary (RSA 635) G. Robbery (RSA 636) H. Illegal sale or possession of a controlled drug (RSA 318-B) I. Simple assault (RSA 631:2-A) J. Criminal mischief (RSA 634:2) K. Theft (RSA 637)

Safe School Zone means an area inclusive of any school property or school buses, at a school sponsored event, at activities or events which maybe conducted off school grounds, at or around school bus stops. School employee means any school administrator, teacher or other employee of any public or private school, school district, school department, or school administrative unit.

Nothing contained in this memorandum is intended to limit the events that may be reported to the police department or to limit school employees from requesting police assistance on matters not referred to in this memorandum.

Attached Policies

PUPIL SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION POLICY

ADMISSION/ATTENDANCE OF NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS

AGE OF ENTRANCE POLICY

ATTENDANCE, TARDINESS, AND TRUANCY POLICY

WELLNESS, NUTRITION, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY

APPROPRIATE AND ACCEPTABLE COMPUTER, NETWORK, AND INTERNET USE

VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDING ON SCHOOL BUSES

School Administrative Unit #16 Policies Civil Rights and Federal Policies

For these important policies, please refer to the attached policy packet.

23 NEWFIELDS SCHOOL BOARD / SAU16 NEW HAMPSHIRE VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDING ON SCHOOL BUSES EEAJ Page 1 of 2

The School Board authorizes the use of video/audio recording equipment (i.e., cameras) by the District on school buses to assist in providing a safe and secure environment for all passengers. This authority shall extend additionally to all vehicles owned or contracted for the transportation of the School District’s students. The School Board authorizes the Superintendent to establish and maintain guidelines and procedures for the retention and viewing of the recordings. 1. Communication/Notice – The presence of recording equipment on a bus/vehicle shall be announced by signage displayed prominently on that bus/vehicle. Notice of this policy shall be given annually in student/parent handbooks. 2. Confidentiality – All recorded footage is to be considered confidential and is to be viewed only on an as needed basis by those individuals authorized herein. 3. Custody – Recordings, in whatever media, shall be stored in a secure location by the appropriate official depending upon the nature of the recorded vehicle (i.e. bus company contract/terminal manager for contracted school bus, SAU Transportation Coordinator for District owned vehicle). This custody shall not be delegated to any bus/vehicle driver. 4. Retention - Digital video and audio recordings will be available for not less than 4 school transportation days from the date of recording, after which the digital media (removable storage drive) may be overwritten by newer recordings. If an incident is identified by the driver, passenger, parent, or administrator related to the incident, the SAU Transportation Coordinator shall be notified and the relevant storage drive removed from service. The recorded footage related to the incident shall be copied from the storage drive and archived. If the recording is formally requested for consideration in the related incident, that recording shall be retained (for use in the disciplinary process). If no request is made within 15 days of the incident, the recording shall be deleted, destroyed or the media reused. 5. Viewing a. Requests to view recordings must be made in writing to the SAU Transportation Coordinator. b. Recordings shall be viewed only in the presence of the Superintendent or designee unless the Superintendent or designee specifically grants express written permission prior to the viewing. c. Recordings shall be viewed only by the following or others expressly authorized by the Superintendent or designee: - Superintendent or designee - SAU Transportation Coordinator - Building Administrator - Transportation contractor official - Law enforcement officers Law Reference: Appendix Reference: Date Adopted: August 14, 2006 Last Review/Revision Date: August 18, 2014